Snubbed truck



R. B. CO'ITRELL 2,706,953

Api-il"26, 1955 SNUBBED" TRUCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 2, 1948 IN VEN TOR.

2 0.6875 (fired 26, 1955 R. B. COTTRELL SNUBBED TRUCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 2, 1948 United States Patent SNUBBED TRUCK Robert B. Cottrell, Chicago, Ill., assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 2, 1948, Serial No. 63,139 8 Claims. (Cl. 105-197) This invention relates to railway car trucks of the stabilized type.

A general object of the invention is to design a truck incorporating novel stabilizing or friction means arranged to effectively damp various movements between the bolster and the side frame.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a truck suitable for high speed service and longitudinal movements of the bolster are yieldingly related side frame surfaces.

A further object of the invention is to provide friction means of simple, rugged form and actuating means therefor reacting directly -thereagainst and against a truck member, thereby providing a compact arrangement.

The preferred embodiment of the invention contemplates an arrangement wherein the spring support members mounted on the frame and removably interlocked therewith.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the side frame is provided with and friction means during the bolster.

sectional view taken on line 4-4 of rib 32 which with the side walls 30 preferably welded as at 54 2,706,953 Ce Patented Apr. 26, 1955 Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a modification of the invention and are views comparable to Figures 1 and 2, respectively;

tion; and Figure 9 being a tially on the line 9-9 of Figure 7.

Describing the invention in detail and referring first to the preferred embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, the truck comprises a side frame including tension and compression members 2 and 4, and a column 6 adjacent each end of the frame merging with said tension and comprelslsion members and defining a bolster opening 8 therewlt The tension member beneath the bolster opening is of box-section plate. of bolster-supporting springs 20 seated thereon. upper ends of the springs 20 seat against the bottom wall f a box-section bolster, generally indicated 24, and

and bottom Walls of the bolster.

The bolster is provided at each side thereof with an integral lateral extension or wing portion generally designated 34 which is of skeletal construction, as may readily be seen in Figures 2 and 3. The extension comprises on its inboard side equal to the depth of the bolster end. The also comprises a diagonal ledge or web 38 wardly toward the adjacent end of the bolster. 38 is integral with the adjacent side wall of the bolster and extends transversely of the bolster and at its lower end merges with the inner side of wall 36 of the extenbottom thereof.

wall 40. weight with practice.

A pocket 41 is formed in thereof and wall 40 and the adjacent side wall 30 of the bolster, said pocket being open at the top of the extension and being adapted to collect dirt such as coal dust or cinders for a purpose hereinafter stated.

The extension is received within a U-shaped channel 42 in the adjacent column 6, the channel being defined by spaced inboard and outboard walls 44 and 46 and an combines light good foundry the extension by the webs a wear plate of web 36 of the wing portion 34. The wear plate 52 is to wall 36 of the wing portion 34.

vex surface 60 on a friction shoe 62.

The shoe 62 is of skeletal construction and substantially triangular in side elevation, as best seen in Figure 2. The shoe 62 presents a substantially frictionally engaging a surface 66 extending longitudinally of the frame approximately parallel to surface 50 on the friction panel on the inboard wall 44 of the associated column, said surface 66 being provided on a wear plate mounted on the inner side of the outboard wall 46 of the associated column. It will be noted that surfaces 50 and 66 may be formed integral with the respective column walls.

The bottom of the shoe 62 presents a spring seat 70 affording a seat for the upper end of an auxiliary, generally vertical, shoe-actuating spring 72. The upper end the auxiliary spring 72 is positioned on the seat 70 by means of a boss 74 formed on the bottom of the shoe. The lower end of the spring 72 seats as at 76 (Figure l) on a spring seat member or casting 78, said casting comprising a top wall 80 with a boss 82 thereon affording positioning means for the lower end of spring 72. The web 80 of the casting 78 straddles an auxiliary or secondary truss web 84, said truss web 84 merging at its inner extremities wth the top surface of web 16 of the tension member at the lower end of the bolster opening 8 and intermediate its ends merging with the walls of the adjacent column and at its other end with a diagonal portion of the tension member in an area beyond the associated column 6, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

The casting 78 comprises inboard and outboard walls 90 and 92 which are disposed inboardly and outboardly of the secondary truss we thus interlocking the casting with the frame against movement transversely of the frame. The lower ends of the webs 90 and 92 are provided with outturned flanges which afford seats for the casting against the top surface of the top chord 16 of the tension member. The casting 78 also comprises an end wall 94 interconnecting the adjacent extremities of the webs 80, 90 and 92. A lug 96 is formed on the lower end of wall 94 and extends into the bolster opening along the top surface of chord 16 of the tension member within the bifurcation 98 in the adjacent side of the spring plate 18. The securing lug 96 is provided with an opening lug 102 on chord 16 to fasten the casting 78 against movement longitudinally of the frame. The

the end wall 94 are connected by spaced gussets 104, 104 merging with the top surface of lug 96 and the external side of the end wall 94 of the casting to strengthen the connection between the lug and the casting.

It will be observed that the inboard and outboard webs 44 and 46 of the column merge at their upper ends with the compression member. The lower ends of the portions of the inboard and outboard webs 44 and 46 at the side of wall 48 of the column adjacent the bolster opening terminate at their lower ends approximately midway between the top and the bottom of the bolster opening and it will be observed from a consideration of Figure 2 that they are of substantially equal vertical length and are dimensioned to afford fullface bearing for the associated wing portion and shoe thereagainst during norma vertical movements of the bolster on the truck springs 20. The lower ends of walls 44 and 46 merge with the adjacent diagonal portion of the tension member outside the bolster opening.

In operation, each wing portion 34, or more specifically the friction means 52 thereon, is caused to engage the inboard friction means or surface 50 on the associated column by the action of the related shoe 62 which is urged upwardly against surface or wedge means 56 on the associated wing portion 34, the shoe sliding on its surface 60 toward the related outboard column surface or friction means 66 for engagement therewith. The spring 72, which is compressed between the shoe and the casting, or part of the side frame structure 76, supports the shoe and thus in turn supports the bolster and is further compressible on downward movement of the bolster whereby greater friction is developed. The spring 72 is compressed directly between the seat 76 and the shoe, thus eliminating complicated assemblies such as nuts and bolts which are expensive and known to become loose in service.

It will be realized that in service the pocket 41 in each extension serves to collect dirt, as hereinbefore stated, which would otherwise sift from the top of the extension between the wedge surfaces on the shoe and the extension or between the engaging surfaces on the shoe and the column or between the extension and column surfaces, and cause malfunctioning of the friction means or abrade these surfaces and thus shorten the life of the arrangement.

To disassemble the arrangement described, the bolster is elevated to the top of the bolster opening 8, thereby relieving the pressure on the truck springs 20 and the shoe-actuating springs 72. These springs are removed, whereupon the friction shoes drop to the bottom of the respective columns and are removed through the bolster opening. castings are then removed. The bolster is then lowered into the widened portion 106 of the bolster opening and removed in usual manner. It will be noted that the vertical extent of the wing portions 34 is less than the distance between the lower edges of the associated portions of the inboard and outboard column walls and the adjacent secondary truss web 84. To assemble the truck the procedure is reversed.

A modification of the ures 5 and 6 wherein parts corresponding to those in Figures 1 to 4 are identified by corresponding numerals. In the instant modification the invention is shown as applied to a car truck of a type wherein the top chord 16 of the side frame is provided with integral inboard and outboard flanges 200 and 202. The inboard wall 44 is considerably shorter than that shown in the preferred embodiment in order to accommodate insertion and removal of the bolster through the lower portion of the bolster opening 8 above the inboard flange 200. The shoe-actuating spring 72 in this modification seats at its lower end as at 204 against the top chord 16 of the tension member 2 of the side frame and is positioned on said chord 16 by means of an integral upstanding boss 208 formed on said top chord.

In operation, the surface 60 of the friction shoe 62 is caused to slide as at 58 against the surface 56 on the associated bolster wing portion 34 by the reaction of spring 72 and to engage the outboard surface 66 on the associated column, whereupon the wing portion 34 is urged against the inboard surface 50 on the associated column 6. The various movements of the bolster are controlled as in the preferred embodiment. To disassemble the truck shown in Figures 5 and 6, the bolster 24 is elevated to the top of the bolster opening, thereby relieving the pressure on the truck springs 20 and the shoe-actuating springs 72. Then springs 20 and 72 and shoes 62 are removed. The bolster is then lowered into the lower portion of the bolster opening 8 and it will be observed that the vertical depth of the wing portion on each side of the bolster is less than the depth between the lower edge of the inboard wall 44 of the associated column and the top surface of the inboard flange 200, whereby the bolster may be removed from the bolster opening by moving the bolster longitudinally in a direction inboardly of the franlige. The reverse procedure is used to assemble the ruc Another modification of the invention is illustrated in F gures 7 to 9 wherein parts corresponding to those in Figures 1 to 6 are identified by corresponding numerals. In the present embodiment vertical movement of the bolster is controlled by substantially constant friction. The bolster 24, as in the previous embodiments, comprises a laterally extending wing portion 300 at each side thereof pro ecting into the adjacent side frame channel 42 between the spaced inboard and outboard friction surfaces 50 and 66. The wing portion 300 comprises a substantially vertical wall or web 302 on its inboard side, the web 302 extending transversely of the bolster and merging at one of its lateral edges with the adjacent side wall 30 of the bolster. The wing portion 300 also comprises a pair of ledges 304 and 306 spaced laterally of the bolster and at their lower ends merging with the inner side of the wall 302 of the wing portion intermediate the top and bottom edges thereof. The ledge 304 which is adjacent the bolster is connected at one of its lateral edges to the adjacent side wall of the bolster, and the connection between the ledge 306, which is remote from the bolster and the vertical wall 302 of the wing portlon, is reinforced by a transverse vertical interconnecting end wall 307.

The ledges 304 and 306 together with web 302 and wall 30 of the bolster and wall 307 form pockets 309 and 311, as clearly seen in Figure 9, these pockets being open to the top of the associated bolster extension 300 and being adapted to collect dirt which might otherwise become lodged between the various surfaces on the ledges invention is illustrated in Figas hereinafter described. open to the space theresift into the space and fall and the shoe and the column The pockets 309 and 311 are between whereby the dirt may clear of the surface.

The spaced ledges 304 and 306 provide convex coplanar diagonal wedge surfaces 308 and 310 sloping upwardly toward the related outboard friction surface 66 of the associated column 6.

A friction shoe 312 is housed within the column, said shoe being of skeletal construction somewhat cup-shaped in form and comprising a substantially horizontal spring seat wall 314 at its upper end, a substantially vertical friction wall 316 engaging surface 66 on the associated column, a rear wall 322, and side ledges 324 and 326, said ledges 324 and 326 being connected to the front and rear walls 316 and 322 and presenting on their upper edges convex coplanar, diagonal wedge surfaces sloping upwardly toward the related column surface 66 and engaging surfaces 308 and 310 on ledges 304 and 306, respectively, of the associated bolster wing portion. The shoe is actuated by a spring 328 housed therewithin and extending between the wedge surfaces on the shoe and bolster wing portion ledges and abutting at its upper end against the bottom of the spring seat wall 314 of the shoe and at its lower end reacting as at 330 against a substantially horizontal shelf or web 332 disposed below the shoe and extending laterally of wall 302 of the wing portion and integral with the lower edge thereof. The spring 328 which is under compression slides the shoe column surface 50.

To disassemble this truck, the bolster 24 is elevated to the upper end of the bolster opening, the bolster-supporting springs 20 are removed, and the bolster is then lowered to the bottom of the bolster opening. It will be noted that the inboard column wall 44 is terminated far enough above the inboard flange 200 of the side frame in order to accommodate the passage of the related bolster wing portion into and out of the bolster opening, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In assembling the truck arrangement shown in Figures 7 to 9, the spring 328 is inserted into the shoe and then seated on the web 332 tion, and then the shoe 1S urged inwardly into said wing portion and held therein by means of any suitable fixture The bolster with respective Wing portions is then inserted through the indescribed, the shoe-actuating spring reacts directly bethe bolster wings and the shoes is along curved surfaces bolster without disengaging the shoes from the columns. It will also be observed that the wing portions of the skeletal,

the shoe, however, also engage the column above and below these points. The bolster, on angling, rocks on its wings against the shoes, whereupon the wings fulcrum against the column above or below their points of engagement with the respective shoes and constantly shift the points of engagement further away from the point of fulcrum, thereby constantly increasing the leverage on the respective shoes and moving the shoes downwardly against the compression of the shoe actuating springs and the friction resistance developed between the shoes and the columns.

It will be understood that the bolster wings in the various embodiments may be arranged to engage the outboard column surfaces and provided with wedge faces facing the inboard column surfaces, and that the shoes may be wedged between the wedge faces and the inboard surfaces.

I claim:

1. In a truck, a side frame member comprising spaced columns and an intervening bolster opening, each of said columns having inboard and outboard walls, a bolster member within said opening with lateral portions between the walls of respective columns, spring means supporting the bolster member from the side frame, a friction shoe within each column having an area of engagement with the related outboard wall and in wedge engagement with the adjacent bolster portion and urging the portion into an area of engagement with the inboard wall of the associated column, and a spring reacting directly against each shoe and one of said members, each shoe and the related bolster portion engaging each other along convex surfaces thereon sloping upwardly longitudinally of the bolster toward the outboard side of said frame and accommodating longitudinal vertical angling of the bolster without disengaging the shoes from the respective outboard column walls, each bolster portion extending above and below its normal area of engagement with the associated shoe and on longitudinal vertical angling of the bolster fulcruming against the associated inboard column wall above or below its normal area of engagement with the associated shoe and shifting its area of engagement with the associated shoe in a direction away from the point of fulcrum to obtain maximum leverage against the associated shoe.

2. In a railway bolster, a box-section member including spaced interconnected top and bottom and side webs, outwardly projecting wings on opposite sides of said member, each wing comprising a substantially vertical on its inboard side extending transversely of the bolster and connected at its inner edge with the adjacent bolster side web, a pair of spaced ledges at the outboard side of said wing connected at their lower ends to the outboard side of said vertical web intermediate the top and bottom margins thereof and presenting downwardly facing substantially coplanar wedge faces sloping upwardly toward the adjacent end of said bolster, one of said ledges being connected to the adjacent bolster side web, a substantially vertical wall connected to the other of said ledges and said vertical web at the edges thereof remote from said bolster, a shelf spaced below said ledges carried by said vertical web.

3. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising tension and compression members and an upright column therebetween, presenting opposed inboard and outwing extending from the end portion between said surfaces and directly engaging one thereof, a shoe beneath the wing and wedged between the wing and the other of said surfaces, and spring means engaging the shoe and erage thereagainst, thereby decreasing actuation of the shoe to a minimum.

4. A truck according to claim 1, wherein the spring associated with each shoe reacts directly against the related shoe and bolster member.

5. A truck according to claim 1, wherein the spring associated with each shoe reacts directly against the related shoe and side frame member.

6. A truck according to claim 1, wherein the area of engagement between each shoe and the related outboard wall extends above the area of engagement between the associated bolster portion and inboard wall.

7. A truck according to claim 1, wherein the area of engagement between each bolster portion and inboard wall extends below the area of engagement between the related shoe and outboard wall.

8. A truck according to claim 1, wherein the area of engagement between each shoe and outboard wall is horizontally aligned with the area of engagement between the related bolster portion and inboard wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

